The fact that actor and influencer Nicolas Caeyers (31) does not have to go to prison for abusing three boys between the ages of 13 and 15 is incomprehensible to the mother of the then 13-year-old victim. “I have no understanding for this statement nor for the so-called ‘extenuating circumstances’,” she writes in an open letter. Yesterday, Caeyers received a one-year suspended prison sentence.
As a 22-year-old, Nicholas Caeyers had sex twice with a 13-year-old. Another – then 15-year-old – victim was raped in a hotel room and in his parental home. In December, a third (underage) victim reported to the public prosecutor’s office. Caeyers was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison sentence for these facts. “I heard the decision of the Leuven court with disgust,” writes the mother, who remains deliberately anonymous. “This piece of scum will receive one year of postponement,” says the mother in an open letter that the Leuven Actueel website publishes in full.
Open letter
“I am not a judge, not a lawyer, not a prosecutor. I am the mother of one of Nicolas Caeyers’ victims. A so-called BV who raped my 13 year old son. My brave son who kept this to himself all these years. My brave son who decided two years ago to take steps because this figure became increasingly known and surrounded himself with children because of his job.”
“The investigation quickly revealed that there were multiple victims. The trial took place in January 2024. Mr Caeyers was accused of rape of minors and also confessed to the facts. Strangely enough, my son was told before the trial that Nicolas Caeyers had actually confessed to the facts, but that he would probably not receive a prison sentence. And so it happened.”
“I was disgusted to hear the ruling of the Leuven court today. This piece of scum gets a 1 year postponement. This perpetrator has abused his fame and misled and raped several minors.”
“The penalty imposed by the Criminal Code for acts of rape is imprisonment of five to ten years. This is of course when no extenuating circumstances are applied, in order to grant a less severe punishment or a favorable measure.”
“In addition, there are also various aggravating circumstances that must be taken into account. These mainly relate to the age of the victim. If the victim is younger, but over fourteen, the sentence can range from fifteen to twenty years,” the mother writes. “The punishment is imprisonment from twenty to thirty years, if the child is not fully ten years old.”
“The above is stated in the Belgian criminal code. Nicolas Caeyers’ sentence is 1 year suspended. Who can explain this? When did rape of minors become a joke in our country? My now adult son is now being wronged for a second time. The first time by a pedophile rapist. The second time by the Belgian constitutional state.”
“How should parents explain this to their minor children who were fans of this character? As a parent, should you say that this gentleman has done ‘wrong things’ but that this is quite okay in our society?”
“As a mother, I wonder how, where and when the judge determined this sentence. Does that judge have children of his own? Which norms and values are applied in Belgium? A judge who knows the facts, knows the law, knows the criminal code and who therefore interprets it all in this way.”
“I have no understanding for this statement nor for the so-called ‘extenuating circumstances’. I only see ‘aggravating circumstances’. I only feel powerlessness, anger and sadness.”
Judgment and reasoning of the court
The court of Leuven sentenced Nicolas Caeyers to a prison sentence of one year, suspended for a period of five years. He was, among other things, banned from contact with the civil parties and required to undergo further psychosocial support. Caeyers was also deprived of the right to engage in activities that place him in a relationship of trust or authority towards minors for five years. He must pay 7,500 euros in compensation to two victims each.
When determining the sentence, the court took into account the seriousness of the facts, whereby the actor focused on his own satisfaction of needs and did not consider the impact of the facts on the further sexual development and psychological integrity of the young victims. The fact that Nicolas Caeyers used his name recognition to arouse the curiosity and interest of the young victims was also taken into account. However, the significant time elapsed since the facts, the initiative that the defendant himself took to seek psychiatric guidance from 2018 and the favorable risk assessment by the court expert psychologist were taken into account.
LOOK. Lawyer: “Satisfied that mitigating circumstances have been taken into account”
Who is Nicolas Caeyers?
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